PEORIA, Ariz. – It's hard to say Carl Crawford's setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery has sent the Dodgers back to the drawing board – since Crawford has yet to leave the drawing board as a Dodger.

But the likelihood now that he will not be ready to open the season in left field for the Dodgers leaves two problem areas from 2012 (left field and leadoff) unsolved. The Dodgers had hoped Crawford would rebound from his elbow and wrist injuries to fill both.

Instead, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly indicated he would use "a variety of guys" and not just one to replace Crawford in left field and at leadoff until he is ready to play. But prospect Yasiel Puig could grow into a 6-foot-3, 245-pound temptation by the end of spring.

"This guy looks good right now. We know he comes with high expectations," Mattingly said of Puig who signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Dodgers last year (the most ever given to a Cuban player). "Obviously if he continues to do what he's doing, you'd have to take a look at it (keeping him on the roster when the season starts). But, honestly, there's a real good chance of setting somebody going in the wrong direction. You end up getting yourself in trouble.

"You want him to develop. He's a kid. He's still raw. You don't want to see a guy get beat up (by major-league pitching). Maybe he never struggles. Some guys don't. But that's usually not the case. Usually a guy has to go through some stuff and that's when he develops."

Mattingly's more conservative reaction is to "mix and match" to replace Crawford from a group that includes Jerry Hairston Jr., Skip Schumaker, Tony Gwynn Jr., Alex Castellano and Alfredo Amezaga at the moment but will likely boil down to a platoon of Hairston and Schumaker once the season begins.

"Jerry was always going to be a guy we felt could give Andre (Ethier) a day off or Carl a day off against a tough left-hander," Mattingly said. "Schu, we look at as a guy who plays all three (outfield positions). If you're asking me today, just off the top of my head, those two guys kind of give me a left-right situation in left field."

If Crawford's setback leads to a more extended absence, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti might try to use one of his surplus starters (Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang or Ted Lilly) to acquire a more every-day solution by trade. Last year, the Dodgers used a consortium of Shane Victorino, Bobby Abreu, Juan Rivera, Elian Herrera, Jerry Sands, Scott Van Slyke, Castellanos, Gwynn and Hairston with none getting as many as 50 starts. That group combined for a .674 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), 24th among left fielders for the 30 major-league teams.

Their best chance for a more dynamic answer in 2013 could be the 22-year-old Puig. Like everyone else around the Dodgers' camp, Mattingly has been impressed by Puig's physical tools and presence. But Mattingly has used the same word in almost every discussion of Puig – "Raw." Puig has less than 100 plate appearances as a professional (not counting winter ball) since defecting from Cuba, all at the rookie or Class-A level last season. He was forced to sit out a season in Cuba before that after an unsuccessful attempt at defecting earlier.

Nonetheless, he is batting .389 (7 for 18) with three doubles in his first big-league camp after going 1 for 2 in Saturday's 9-5 loss to the Mariners.

"He's a big kid," Angels right-hander Jered Weaver said after facing Puig in Tempe on Friday. "I felt like I was facing Frank Thomas in the box."

Puig struck out against Weaver and the Dodgers would clearly like to see the prospect get more at-bats in the minor leagues before asking him to face a steady diet of major-league pitching.

"That's a good way to look at it," Mattingly said.

As for the leadoff spot, Mattingly had called Crawford the most "natural" solution to plug into a position that was a major handicap to the Dodgers' offense in 2012, primarily because it would allow Mattingly to break up the left-handed hitters in his lineup (Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier). Crawford has batted leadoff only sporadically during his career.

The Dodgers' Carl Crawford takes batting practice during spring training workouts Sunday at Camelback Ranch. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Yasiel Puig, center, chats with Juan Uribe, left, and Wilkin Castillo before their split-squad game against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium Friday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Yasiel Puig celebrates his double against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium Friday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Yasiel Puig is congratulated by pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu during their split-squad game against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium Friday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Yasiel Puig prepares to bat Wednesday at Hohokam Park in Mesa against the Chicago Cubs. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Skip Schumaker takes the field before their split-squad game against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium Friday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Jerry Hairston gets some help from trainer Sue Falsone before their game Wednesday at Hohokam Park in Mesa against the Chicago Cubs. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Jerry Hairston bats against the Chicago Cubs Wednesday at Hohokam Park in Mesa. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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